The Asia Business Daily
Choi Youngchan
02 September 2026
Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands, showcases its transformation into a modern airport, despite being in operation for over 110 years. This was achieved through a large-scale facility improvement project costing approximately 10 billion euros.
Although Schiphol Airport has only one terminal and faces several limitations such as a limited land area, it managed to accommodate up to 70 million passengers last year through the efficient arrangement of passenger routes and runways.
Schiphol Airport is pursuing several projects with the aim of completion by 2035, including improvement work on Departure Hall 1, expanding space by an additional 5,000 square meters, and renovating Lounge 1 and aircraft boarding areas (piers). However, carrying out such large-scale upgrades involves significant costs and can increase airport congestion and passenger inconvenience during construction. At Schiphol, the limited land area meant it was impossible to build an alternative terminal to use during the renovation of Terminal 1. As a result, the airport opted to operate the existing terminal while carrying out the renovation work. Construction is conducted as much as possible at night, and by sections and facilities. While the improvement of Departure Hall 1 and Lounge 1 has been successfully completed, it is also true that passengers experienced considerable inconvenience during the process...
